Dixons - Close to Death

DSG International, owner of Currys, Dixons and PC World announced a pre-tax loss of £61m for the 24 weeks to 18th October. It is their first loss in 20 years.

Last time I wrote about the terrible service at DSG one of their Tech Guys posted me to complain. Sorry, here comes more bad news about why the company is going down the toilet.


Yesterday I was in the Glasgow aiport branch of Dixons Tax Free (its a very small branch, with very few items, less than a handful of computers) looking at an Advent web notebook 4213. The sales sticker claimed 'mobile broadband without the dongle'. I'm in the market for such a thing, so I asked the assistant if 'without the dongle' meant the device was tied to a particular mobile network - if so whose mobile service would it provide? (Vodafone, 3, etc)

He looked blankly at the machine and then the ticket. Then he phoned a friend in the branch at the other terminal building. You do need a dongle he said when he came off the phone (after having an entirely irrelevant friendly chat with his mate). 'Why does it say 'without the dongle' then?' I asked - pointing back at the ticket. 'Perhaps mobile means you can carry it round' he suggested helpfully. No honestly, he really did say that. Numpty. Or was I the numpty for asking about a technology thing in a DSG shop?

Chief executive, John Browett (he emailed me, remember) said he was going to change the 'very DNA' of Dixons group. Mmm.

Back at home I looked at the Advent 4213 on Amazon. Amazon explains you insert the mobile broadband sim card inside the machine, you don't need a dongle. Amazon doesn't have sales staff, just useful information and competitive prices.

DSG International looks like it may soon join MFI and Woolworths by vacating the high street. Permanently.

Dixons - Where are my DVD's?

The story so far: This is Dixons new CEO John Browett. I emailed him last month, finally he replied here. I wondered where the recordable DVD's I ordered back in February were. He told me:

'I don't know what I can say... I am using them (the complaints) to try and work out how to fix the business.'

Yesterday Mr Browett unveiled his plans to the city:

'We are going to transform the very DNA of our business'

announced the former Tesco management consultant. His words received a lukewarm response. Unable to fathom his flowery language, city analysts looked at the numbers instead and decided they were bad. 1 in 3 of Curry's Digital stores will be closed down.

Mr Browett said the business (Dixons, Currys and PC World) had:

'not kept pace with its core customer needs'.

Clearly there's a lot to do But perhaps Mr Browett should start by keeping pace with customer needs. Here's a story from this customer who emailed him personally about a problem.

28th February - place order for 50 recordable DVD's with Dixons online.
29th March - email CEO John Browett to ask why Dixons can't supply such a basic item.
8th April - email CEO John Browett again to ask why he hasn't replied.
22 April - receive pathetic email from customer services suggesting I phone them.
22 April - forward the 'pathetic' email to John Browett.
22 April John Browett emails back to say he's trying to 'fix the business'.
15 May still no DVD's.

Talk about keeping pace with customers needs, recordable DVD's will be obsolete technology before Dixons get around to keeping pace with the needs of this customer.